Mindfulness Mode

Laura Chandler is a writer, teacher, and award-winning songwriter sharing sacred stream wisdom. She co-founded and directs the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, a consciousness studies school in Berkeley, California. With a background in publishing, music, video production, and alternative therapies, her music has appeared in film and television. She has studied spiritual, therapeutic, and meditative techniques worldwide, learning from master teachers across traditions. She co-authored the newly released book Depth Hypnosis: A Path to Healing, Power and Transformation with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.

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Sigmar Berg wants to help you find love and peace with the Lovetuner. Sigmar is an entrepreneur, artist, photographer, and fashion designer. Sigmar has spent his life seeking to bring wellness and balance to the world through art, design, and conscious consumerism, which brings him to his most exciting venture yet: the Lovetuner. After years of seeking, learning, researching, and gathering knowledge from all fields of life and worldwide, Sigmar is impassioned to introduce the Lovetuner to the world. We are living in a time of great chaos, division, and instability, but also one which has created an incredible opportunity for change.

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We share a healing celebration today as Dr. and Master Sha opens a new healing center in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Previously interviewed, Healing With Dr Sha. Master Sha combines traditional Chinese medicine, the essence of Western medicine, and ancient energy and spiritual secrets from China. A medical doctor in China, Master Sha is also a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture in Canada and China. He is an expert in advanced cellular science and in breakthrough research on the effects of aligning soul, heart, mind, and body. He is an author of over 25 books with 11 New York Times bestsellers. Dr and Master Sha is a grand master of Dong Yi Gong qigong, feng shui, the I Ching, Qigong and Wu Dong tai chi. He is also a National Chinese Calligrapher Master (Shu Fa Jia) and an Honorable Research Professor (Yan Jiu Yuan), appointed by the State Ethnic Academy of Painting (Gui Jia Min Zu Hua Yuan) in Beijing, China.

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Lau Tsu and Art

The Hands For Healing

Fire

Love, Peace, Harmony

Nineteen years ago Master Sha learned a song in the Bay area, I Love My Heart So, I Love All Humanity. This started the focus on Love, Peace, Harmony. As a result, the Love Peace Harmony Charitable Foundation was born. The Love Peace Harmony Foundation generously pledged to match all donations up to $250,000 USD to support nearly 180,000 residents impacted by the Los Angeles, California wildfires. (Listen to learn more)

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You can thrive with creativity, and having more aspects of creativity in your life will help you prosper in surprising ways. When you remember the times in your life when everything was flowing, do you feel like creativity was an active part of your life? As a musician, some of the happiest times of my life were when I was creating and performing music.

I’m taking part in a ‘learn to paint’ program this week, and it has really helped me feel connected to a deeper part of myself. The course is with Jed Dorsey of TheLandscapeWorkshop.com. Jed is not an affiliate, I just wanted to tell you about this excellent free course he’s offered.

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Meditation can help you become more creative. I recently interviewed Jackson Kerchis – he’s passionate about helping people learn meditation and stick to it. The episode is called, How To Stick To Meditation; Jackson Kerchis. Jackson also wrote an excellent book on the topic with the same name, How To Stick To Meditation.

I can say from experience that meditation has helped me feel more creative and I have definitely benefited from the increased creativity.There are five benefit to creativity I’d like to talk about today:

1/ Boost Happiness

As a kid, I would spend hours playing the piano. I played from sheet music and made songs up. When I thought the song was ready for a performance, I’d play it for my dad, who was always eager to hear me play. He gave me great positive feedback as a result of my creativity.

The definition of creativity varies, but most experts agree it has to do with the ability to come up with new ideas, new connections between ideas, and novel solutions to problems.

You might be thinking, I’m not a musician, a dancer, or a poet. Experts say creativity lives within all of us, it’s just a matter of allowing it to come forward.

In the book called, “The Creativity Cure”, author Dr. Carrie Barron says, “It really has to do with open-mindedness.” She says creativity applies to everything from making a meal to generating a business plan.

It doesn’t matter what creativity looks like in your life. It could be cooking, skiing, singing, sketching or something else. Just remember that creativity will feed your soul and just help you feel happy.

2/ Creativity For Problem-Solving

Creativity is a skill that can be learned. You don't need to be an artist or musician to be creative, you can use your creativity everyday with things like cooking, cleaning, gardening, or organizing.

Creativity can help with problem solving but it’s good to take step by step action.

Use Osborn’s Creative Problem Solving technique Brainstorming in between the steps to get the biggest benefit. Here are the 7 steps:

I encourage you to combine your creativity with problem-solving to reach a win-win result.

3/ Creativity for Healthy Living

Does it make sense to you that creative people live longer? I think creative people are happier, and I believe it makes sense that happier people live longer.

I know in my case, I’m a lot happier when I’m doing creative activities compared to when I’m spending my time on what I would consider non-creative activities.

The topic of creativity has come up a lot in my interviews on Mindfulness Mode, and just as an observation, I’ve noticed that health and creativity seem to be aligned.

There are studies about this topic and a study from 2012 researched veteran men. The researchers, Turiano, Spiro and Mroczek, followed 1,349 veterans for over 10 years . They looked at their intellect and creativity. They rated their creativity based on these five words: creative, imaginative, artistic, innovative, and uncreative.

I found the study interesting. Maybe you’ve read some books or read some studies on this topic. If you have, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message [email protected]

4/ Healthier Relationships Result From Being Creative

Creative people have better relationships for several reasons. For one, they are often more motivated compared to less creative people. Creative people tend to be more relaxed and easy-going and that quality means they are drawn to people looking for a comfortable, relaxed, non-threatening relationship 

Noticing emotions and being able to express those emotions is another quality common in creative people. People with this quality will be more sensitive to your feelings and needs than a person who is not very creative. 

5/ Creative People Are More Successful

Look around you. Think of the people you know. Do the more creative people seem to be more successful in your circles? Well, in my opinion, creative people tend to be more passionate about their work and I think that leads to more discoveries, more advancement, and more great relationships at work.

Creative ppl tend to ask the question ‘What if” frequently, allowing their mind to explore possibilities. From what I’ve read, I believe Nicola Tesla asked these kinds of questions and as a result became a well-known inventor. The radio, remote control and general wireless communication are credited to tesla.

Creativity reminds me of a quote by Albert Einstein. He’s known for saying, “Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.”

It’s important for adults to continue to be creative. If we become too left brain dependent we could forget about the thrill we get from life when we allow our creativity to play an active role.

A few months ago I interviewed Keda Edwards Pierre in Toronto at the Collision Conference. Her episode is called True II Soul. As soon as I met her, I could tell that she was overflowing with creativity. She uses some of her personal expeiences to help others deal with trauma. She had a 27-year career with the Toronto Police Service and she sees herself as a renaissance woman, living her mission of personal and professional lifelong healing and development. You might want to have a listen to her episode.

A really great book related to creativity is the book called, Squircle – that word came from combining the word Circle, which represents creativity or right brain thinking, and the word Square, which represents left brain thinking. The author of this book is Francis Cholle, and I interviewed him in February of this year. I highly recommend his book and the interview as well. It’s called, A New Way To Think For A New World, by Francis Cholle .

Here are some things Francis recommends in his book to help develop your creative side. He says, change your routine in the morning, explore new foods for breakfast or other meals. Search for a new route to travel to work or school. Listen to different radio shows, podcasts, or audio books.

One of the things I’ve concluded from what I’ve read and the people I’ve interviewed is that people who have creative personalities tend to have a lot of perseverance and they actually look for things in their life that will create interest and make their lives more fun. Individuals with these traits are more satisfied with their lives than less creative people.

It’s important to remember that people are the most creative when they’re in a good mood, possibly because they don’t fixate on individual pieces of information and they can think more broadly and more positively. You’ve seen others thrive with creativity, now it’s your turn. Chose a specific way you can increase creativity in your life. It could be dance, woodworking, drawing, music, or painting like I mentioned at the top of the show. Take action. Get ready to thrive in a brand new way!

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A New Way To Think For A New World - Francis Cholle

How To Stick To Meditation; Jackson Kerchis

True II Soul - Keda Edwards Pierre

Dr. Steven Masley motivates people to become healthier, starting with heart and brain health. He's a physician, nutritionist, best-selling author, and the creator of the number one health program for public television called, 'Thirty Days To A Younger Heart.' Dr. Masley's book, 'The Better Brain Solution", is the first book to show how the brain can become insulin resistant through diet and lifestyle. It also clarifies the link between diet, cognitive decline, and memory loss.

Dara McKinley teaches how to forgive. After studying psychology and spirituality for most of her life, an unlikely turn of events pointed Dara toward the forgiveness path. Upon searching online for a forgiveness how-to, Dara only found information about why one should forgive. Needing directions to follow, she decided to make her own forgiveness step-by-step, which, upon completion, left her feeling peaceful for the first time in three years. Impressed by the effectiveness of forgiveness, she quickly became a devotee and now changes lives by teaching participants about her practical spiritual process that restores inner peace.

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Second Sun Insights; Kristof Morrow

Janice Kaplan is the guest of Tune Into Happiness, today’s MIndfulness Mode episode. She is a journalist, TV producer, and the author of fifteen popular books, including the New York Times bestseller The Gratitude Diaries. Her upcoming book, What Your Body Knows About Happiness: How to Use Your Body to Change Your Mind, releasing January 7, 2025, explores the groundbreaking connection between body and mind in creating joy. A former editor-in-chief of Parade magazine, Janice has produced over thirty primetime TV specials and appeared frequently on national TV shows. With her signature humor and storytelling, she brings science to life, empowering readers to use their bodies to unlock creativity, positivity, and everyday happiness.

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Find Peace With 365 Days of Happiness; Jacqueline Pirtle

Booster Shot of Happiness; Soren Russow

The Future of Happiness With Amy Blankson

Happiness and Your Body is today’s episode. I am sharing a short review of the book, What Your Body Knows About Happiness by Janice Kaplan. I will interview Janice Kaplan in a few days, about her new book,  What Your Body Knows About Happiness. I received her book and am so impressed that I decided to share some key ideas with you today. 

The central idea at the heart of her book is that happiness isn’t just a state of mind but also a state of body. Kaplan challenges the traditional notion that happiness stems solely from our thoughts or circumstances. Instead, she reveals that our physical bodies play a profound role in shaping how we experience joy. 

Have you ever noticed how standing tall and confident makes you feel more self-assured? Or how forcing a smile, even on a bad day, can lighten your mood? According to Kaplan, these are not coincidences but examples of how our bodies often lead the way in creating our emotions. While we’ve long been taught that the brain is the command center, issuing orders for the body to follow, new research flips this idea on its head

Kaplan’s book delves deeply into the role our senses play in shaping our happiness. Think about the last time you stopped to smell freshly baked cookies or marveled at a sunset. Those sensory experiences didn’t just feel good—they actively boosted your mood. Kaplan shows how engaging with our senses can bring joy into everyday life.

Exercise and movement are other key components of happiness that Kaplan explores. It’s no secret that physical activity boosts endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in your brain. But Kaplan goes beyond the usual “exercise makes you happy” mantra to show how the type of movement you choose can make a difference. Dancing and activities like yoga stretch your muscles, calm your mind, and center your emotions.

Kaplan’s insights remind us that our bodies are not just vehicles for our brains but active participants in creating happiness. When you move with intention—whether it’s through a workout, a hike, or even just a walk around the block—you’re giving your body the tools to generate joy from the inside out.

Pain, both physical and emotional, can feel like the ultimate happiness blocker. However, Kaplan argues that understanding how the body processes pain can help us find moments of joy even in difficult times. She explains that the brain doesn’t just passively receive pain signals; it actively interprets them. By changing our environment or reframing our mindset, we can shift our experience of pain.

Kaplan discusses the link between creativity and happiness. Whether painting, writing, cooking, or gardening, creative activities engage the mind and body, offering a unique pathway to joy. Kaplan explains that creativity isn’t about being perfect or producing masterpieces. It’s about the process—the act of making something new and expressing yourself. This creative flow can quiet the mind, energize the body, and leave you feeling more fulfilled.

Kaplan concludes her book with a practical, seven-day happiness plan—a roadmap for incorporating her insights into daily life. Each day focuses on a different theme, from engaging your senses to exploring your creativity. By the end of the week, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how your body contributes to your happiness and how to nurture that connection.

Kaplan’s What Your Body Knows About Happiness is more than a book; it’s an invitation to tune in to your body and discover its incredible capacity for joy. Happiness isn’t just something you think about; it’s something you feel, experience, and create through your physical self.

Napoleon Hill’s Writings Unpacked in Truthful Living Book by Author, Jeffrey Gitomer

Calmness, Certainty and Unshakable Inner Security Now; Hale Dwoskin

Mastering Your Second Act; Jamie Sabat

Dr. John Demartini believes when we have reflective awareness and don't have the noise that judgments bring, we can be present with our own reflections. Dr. Demartini is a human behavior specialist, International best-selling author, educator, founder of the Demartini Institute, and the author of 40 books translated into 38 languages. He has presented alongside Sir Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Steve Wozniak, and many others. He has been a welcomed guest on Larry King Live, CNN, and CNBC and is a contributor to Oprah Magazine and hundreds of other magazines.

Core Value Leadership; Andrea Johnson

Jackson Kerchis teaches how to stick to meditation. He is a former operations leader, startup executive, and Zen monk. He's a co-founder and partner at Happiness Means Business and Warrior Leader Training Companies, where he helps business and military leaders solve their people problems. Notable clients include the Army National Guard and Young's Commercial (the largest produce hauler in the US). He created the world’s first major in happiness studies and taught the first course on happiness at the University of Alabama. He is the author of How to Stick to Meditation: The Science of Habit Meets the Art of Mindfulness.

Muse For Meditation; Ariel Garten

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Use Meditation to Master Yourself; Ashley Williams